By James Slater: Unbeaten 140-pounder Timothy Bradley will be a most interested observer of tomorrow night’s WBA/IBF 140-pound clash between champ Amir Khan and once-beaten challenger Lamont Peterson. The one loss on Peterson’s record came, of course, at the hands of the man known as “Desert Storm,” and Bradley feels Khan will repeat his own points victory.
Speaking with my desert.com, Bradley, 29-0(12) said Peterson will have problems with Khan’s speed:
“[Khan’s] movement and quickness and jab will give him problems,” Bradley said. “Peterson will come and make it a hell of a fight and he has a chance for an upset, but Khan is polished. Peterson will have a good chance but I favour Khan because he’s quicker and he throws his combinations and he gets in and out. That’s what I did when I fought Peterson.
“I’d be surprised if he stopped Peterson. If he stops him, then he’s the real deal.”
Many fans think Khan has already proven he is “the real deal,” and that the only fight left for him to cement his claim as the best in the world at 140 is a fight with Bradley. But, as we all know, Bradley reportedly turned down all offers to face Khan back in July of this year. Khan has spoken of his desire to “get Peterson out of the way first” and then move up to 147, where he hopes to meet superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior in a super-fight. As such, Khan may have forgotten all about Bradley.
Still, the reigning WBO 140-pound boss says he still has Khan in his sights. Bradley had nothing much to say in response to questions about Khan’s “grow some balls” dig, which was hurled at the Palm Springs man (at the Bradley-Casamayor fight recently):
“There’s nothing to comment on, people talk all the time,” Bradley said. “Khan is an arrogant type of guy. More fans in England hate him than like him. More than half hate him because he’s so cocky, so there’s not much to say. People can talk, but at the end of the day, business is business.
“People say I’m avoiding Khan. That’s garbage. We’ll see who the real champion is when we fight.”
But will Khan and Bradley actually fight? Has that particular match-up gone off the boil somewhat now? If Khan sticks to his plan (and all bets are off if he loses to the upset-minded Washington D.C native tomorrow), he will be a welterweight the next time he sets foot into the ring. Leaving Bradley with what? A fight with superstar Manny Pacquiao is not an impossibility, but Bradley would be lucky if he got that enormous payday.
Bradley speaks a lot of sense a lot of the time, but he might be wrong with his “England fans hate Khan” statement. Khan is on the shortlist for this year’s U.K Sports Personality of The Year. No hated sportsman would be in with a shot at winning such a prestigious award, surely!
If Khan wins tomorrow night (and for what it’s worth, I think he will; by mid-rounds stoppage), his chances of picking up yet another trophy will only improve.